METS UPDATENew York has been known in the past to wilt at the first sign of controversy or trouble. Not this year. Despite plenty of off-the-field drama and the recent trades of two key veterans, the Mets continue to play competitive baseball and come to the District riding a four-game winning streak.

This is a different-looking roster, though, than the last time the Nationals saw it. Closer Francisco Rodriguez was traded over the All-Star break to the Brewers, and on Wednesday, outfielder Carlos Beltran was shipped to the Giants. Veteran Jason Isringhausen, enjoying a nice comeback season, has taken over as closer in Rodriguez's wake. Lucas Duda, meanwhile, appears to be the new right fielder with Beltran gone and came through yesterday with a three-run double in the Mets' win over the Reds, capping a wild week.

"The last two games speaks volumes about these guys," manager Terry Collins told reporters. "They were drained. They were wiped outRead more »

P. Cole: Wang's last start in the big leagues was July 4, 2009, against the Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium. He's never pitched at Nationals Park, though he did start a game at RFK Stadium on Father's Day 2006, giving up a walk-off homer to Ryan Zimmerman.

I am looking forward to Wang and hate to sound a negative note on what really is a courageous comeback BUT for some reason I don't think he is absolutely ready. I understand they had to make this move and I support it. I just hope his mental toughness will prevail and I do expect each start to get a little better. I like that Davey has already compared this to a first time start in spring training. I hope I am wrong and will gladly eat crow or whatever you guys are serving tonight. I am not a scout or anything but I just have this gut feeling he is not ready.Mets have really rallied around lots of difficulty. Wright is back from a really serious injury but they have lost their closer, their star outfielder and dealt with trade rumors for their SS. Hope we can start to do the same.Go Nats

@Dave said… Zim's walk-off homer off Wang is immortalized on the back of the big scoreboard. So don't anybody take CMW out to the Shake Shack for a snack. It would bum him out. July 29, 2011 11:23 AM Uh, that would do more than bum him out. Mariano Rivera wasn't available to close out that game after the Saturday night fiasco so Wang was going for the complete game on fumes. That cost him win #20 in retropect as he won 19 games in 2006.

sjm308 said… I am looking forward to Wang and hate to sound a negative Of course he isn't ready. He hasn't pitched in over two years. He may never be ready. Best we can hope for is 4 or 5 innings and hope he doesn't give up too many runs…

@Mark Zuckerman said… Rodriguez is out of options. If the Nats want to send him down, he'd have to pass through waivers first. No guarantee another club wouldn't scoop him up. July 29, 2011 11:31 AM Thanks. His velocity is dropping, his control is horrible, he is a mess and you just know another team would scoop him up because thats what teams do with a guy throwing 96 MPH and higher. Someone said on the radio he was in the same situation as Bixler for options which I thought meant he could be sent down and not be touched. His MLB experience is part of 3 seasons and appearing in 64 games total. http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/rodrihe03.shtml

Thanks UNTerp, So there is almost no doubt that we will see Gorzo tonight as well? I am guessing that Ross got sent down since he was the only pitcher with options. I realize LannEn also has options but that would be ridiculous. Maybe a combination of Wang/Gorzo for a couple games might just work. Nothing like thinking outside the box right in the middle of a season.Go

Will try to get to Saturday's game in time to get the bobblehead, but might not make it. Don't get off work until 5:30 and even if I drive, it's at least an hour with traffic and parking. Oh, well, at least I have my Pudge bobblehead I got for voting for Mike Morse. Had a Nyjer one, but one of my kitties jumped up on the shelf and broke it. Guess she was expressing HER opinion.

JaneB, I heard the same thing. This was from last night of Rizzo on 106.7 when asked about trades, he mentions "long-term". Bourn and BJUpton are not long-term rather very short-term (1 year 2 months under team control) so unless a contract is extended subject to a trade, neither of these players are long-term. Unless it is Peter Bourjos or Denard Span or a mystery player, I don't see long-term other than those two. Bourjos was moveable -if- Mike Trout took the CF spot with the Angels but he is struggling so far and Span has the concussion issue but seems to be playing better of late in AAA. He is another lefty which in this case is good because he hits lefties better than righties. Also of interest on Span is according to his MLB Bio was born in Washington DC and grew up in Tampa (Baseball Reference says he was born in Tampa). "To flip a young controllable bullpen piece like a Clippard or Storen or even a young everyday player like a Desmond, or an Epsinosa or Ramos, and believe me we get innundated with calls about those players, and for us to do something like that it would really have to impact us greatly. It would have to be a long-term asset for us in a position that we don't have great depth. It would have to fill at least one hole on the ballclub not only for 2011 but for the long-term and that would impact us more than giving up one of those great young, controllable, inexpensive assets like those players we just mentioned."

I don't know anything about Span but if he is as good as advertised, a good GM given the state of this team would make that trade 9 out of ten times. Additionally, drafting a relief pitcher (closer) number ten in the draft given where this team was, was a mistake IMHO. If the trade goes forward I hope Drew all the best and expect him to be sensational in the future…

I'm confident that if/when a trade happens, our humble beat writer will report it. Until then, I'm not going to get exercised about rumors. But that's just me.NatsLady, how did you get the bobblehead for voting? I voted a bunch online and also submitted some at the ballpark but didn't know about that possibility.

At the Park, they gave you batch of ballots, and if you voted 100 times, you turned them in a got a bobblehead. There was a stand right near the escalator and picnic area (sorry, not good with section numbers).

The thing is, Span had a bad concussion and isn't playing. Who knows how much damage he succeeded? Ryan Church never became the guy everyone thought he would be because of s similar problem. He isn't playing so no one knows. Storen and Clip ARE real parts of the future.Too risky.

JaneB said…I didn't know Span had a bad concussion. Then I retract my post and would add that it would be a stupid move by Rizzo, but a stupid move that might pan out which is my way of saying what I think about Rizzo…

Denard Span played all nine innings tonight for Class AAA Rochester in a 7-3 win over the Louisville Bats. Span played into the tenth inning yesterday before being replaced by a pinch runner. So he looks like he's on his way to returning to the Twins by the end of the weekend.If he's still a Twin.Actually, there not much news on the Span-to-Washington front, except that there were reports during the day that the Nationals are not willing to put Drew Storen in the deal. If that is true, then I can't see how they can put together a deal for Span. Storen solves the Twins' closer problem for several years. The Twins have indicated that they are not shopping Span and would have to be very impressed by an offer to consider dealing him.–from the Star/Tribune

Just read a Minn. article on Span – as NatsLady says, he is on a rehab assignment and the scary thing to me is he says he has good days and bad days. He also goes on to say he can start a game feeling fine and then have things go south for no reason during a game. Hope he can overcome the affects of the concussion but we all know that they will never clear him for major league play if that sort of stuff continues. I am guessing Natslady has a more current update then what I read.If he is 100% I would support the trade of either Clipp or Storen for a full time leadoff, quality CF. But he is not 100% so this would be a huge risk.

Grandstander, HILARIOUS! I wish I had been paying attention to how to do bold face and italics.Steve M. thanks for the quote and the link to Ladson. I have stopped levitating. And natsfan1a, the reminder that there is no NEED for levitation in the rumor stage. I'm glad it's still rumor, not fact.

Here is my (non-expert) opinion. Drew Storen is an excellent young man, personable and articulate. He's doing a great job as a closer. His arm will be gone in three years, and he'll go into baseball management (or some other management) and make his fortune.Tyler Clippard is a once-in-a-generation wonder. Period.

Grandstander, good one!When Kasten left, Rizzo was on his own and has embarked on a curious path of questionable trades. His quote above about "long-term" gives me some hope that he gets it although I still have to wonder –if– he just figured that out.I understand why the Brewers traded away prospects for Zach Greinke as they were in the mix for the playoffs while Rizzo was "all in" for a pitcher who most likely wasn't going to be the catalyst for this team to make the playoffs and is not "long-term" as he was only signed through the end of next season. So is Rizzo now changing his stance on "long term"?Span is a long term question mark. His own quotes can send ugly chills up your spine. The brain is very fragile as we have all learned. While Span could be a bargain for Storen, he could also be a total bust.I don't think you trade "sure things" for question marks. The more appropriate trade would be Minor Leaguers who also aren't "sure things" for Span.

Steve M: agree, but I don't think the Twins would go for it, on the same reasoning. Mattheus can close for the rest of the season, and perhaps for next season. I also think that, for whatever reason, this team's system is better at developing pitchers than outfielders.

JaneB, Ladson's article doesn't really convince me of anything. I am a big fan of Drew but plugging the CF/leadoff black hole the Nats have is enormous and you have to give something to get something back and a reliever even as good as Storen is a price the Nats should be willing to pay.

Steve M. I agree with your point on Greinke but I would also hope that the Nats doctors would be able to look at Span's cat scans before they sign off on a deal and I also don't completely buy into the concept that any reliever (not named Rivera) is a 'sure thing'. Taking out the health risk this really is a no brainer trade and as I said I really like Drew Storen.

This tells me from my above statement that Rizzo is showing his cards in desperation and while he says "long-term" I get a feeling that he is willing to take a risk which only time will tell its success. Buster Olney said, "Rival executives have said that Nationals GM Mike Rizzo is intent on finding a center fielder"… "It's his Holy Grail," a rival GM said. "He's bound and determined to get an established guy.” When Rizzo was bound and determined to get a front of the rotation starter, he lost the forest for the trees and came close to trading away the youth core of the Nationals on a 2 year deal for Zach Greinke. Sometimes publicly stating a #1 goal for yourself can cloud your judgement from making a sound decision. Step back from the edge Mike Rizzo. This team will survive without BJ Upton, Michael Bourn and Denard Span.Set your sights back on Minor League studs especially those who could platoon from the right side with a Roger Bernadina. The Nats also have drafted Brian Goodwin who could be the answer in the near-term.

JD, in baseball history, you are correct when it comes to closers and over-used relievers. Mariano is as valuable as a reliever can be.Denard Span was my guy before but I don't like the high price tag given the risk. I still go to the Royals for Lorenzo Cain (still in AAA) who is a beast when facing lefties. Cain can look bad against RH pitching which is why the Royals have him tucked away in the Minors but his July numbers are great and he has really picked up vs. RH pitching. The Nats have the ability to play him in platoon with Bernadina if Rizzo can pry him away. Cain's slash .322/.392/.524/.916 http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=p_pbp&pid=456715

NatsLady, I agree as the Nats did little to develop Zimm and few other players have developed into top notch hitters/OBP. But it seems the drafting and developing of pitchers has gone well. Dealing from strength is what you do and they have a bunch of good young pitching prospects. Also, it might make sense to try and move Desmond now. They might be able to get a ok return. thoughts?

Talk on MLBtraderumors is Rizzo is fixated on obtaining an established CF — not sure Rizzo is capable of multitasking and last winter he was fixated on getting an Ace. That did not work out so well. My guess is that they won’t pull the trigger on that CF trade, if history means anything.In any event, I don't understand the need to pull the string on a deal right now for a CF/lead-off man. The Nats are in the market competing with clubs chasing the playoffs right now. Span is not a salary dump guy and the Twins are not likely willing to accept a discounted return for the guy. Why not wait until the off-season to move talent, after they have a better picture of what they need and what they can get? They could find a CF as a FA (Cody Ross, Coco Crisp, maybe Sizemore or McLouth, etc.), and/or find a lead-off guy from the SS position in Furcal, Reyes or Rollins.dfh21

Steve M., just a quick thing on your "long-term" point: my recollection on the Greinke trade was that the team did the thing where they wanted to trade for him, as long as he simultaneously agreed to a contract extension.

Mark'd, I think dfh21 makes a point that waiting until the off-season may be a better strategy.I go low risk high reward for a Minor Leaguer. Trade minor league talent for minor league talent in a win-win for both teams. I am not 100% sold on Bernadina, but I think in a platoon where he is playing part-time and coming off the bench he is better.I also think September is the time to see what young studs like Lombardozzi and Marrero can do. Also keep in mind that the Nats hold the rights to Adam LaRoche for 2012 and an option year to possibly trade him for prospects.

Water23, there have been several threads here and an excellent article by Kilgore on WaPo on the subject of Desmond. So far, we've agreed on his age (25). Given that he is not performing up to "potential" and that we have other middle infield alternatives, a trade is feasible– but what would be the rush? You are not getting Rizzo's dream outfielder for Desmond in a straight up trade, that's for sure. So, probably wait, see if his numbers improve, see how Steve Lombardozzi does in September.

Steve M – Mike Rizzo never steps back from the edge. He gets his emotions and his ego too involved and loses perspective. He is a great talent evaluator and maybe even a good negotiator, but we have seen the disastrous results of his need to be right and win 100% of the time.

Mark'd, I agree that Cain should have cracked the lineups of mediocre teams like Milwaukee (who basically has no one in CF) and KC and I don't think Rizzo considers Bernadina as an answer to any question because the defense is mediocre and the OBP is also not good enough for a leadoff hitter. Steve M, If your concern about Span is strictly based on his post concussion syndrome you have to trust that the Nats doctors will have a full set of CD scans to review before they give the green light. You can always assume that everyone in the organization is an idiot. I agree that there is no urgency to resolve the CF/leadoff problem NOW but I rather look at this as an opportunity to plug a major hole without giving away a player in a critical position.

Mark'd — please don't take offense, but I did not rehash anything. I simply posted some thoughts that happen to track some of what other posters may have said. And I was typing and surfing the 'net for FA info when SteveM's post went up (and in any event, I made a completely different sugestion than SteveM had made anyway). Mr. Blog Originality of Thought Police Officer Man. Jeez. dfh21

Scooter said… Steve M., just a quick thing on your "long-term" point: my recollection on the Greinke trade was that the team did the thing where they wanted to trade for him, as long as he simultaneously agreed to a contract extension. July 29, 2011 1:58 PM Rizzo did suggest that to which Greinke said "NO" and then fired his agent John Courtright of SFX shortly after.He made a point later that he was not signing any extensions. We will never know if or what happened behind closed doors but you are correct that Rizzo did want to make it a longer-term deal although of question is whether Rizzo would have still done the deal regardless and tried to extend him after he acquired him which is always risky.There are good chances Greinke may be a Nat in 2013 as a Free Agent. That would be real interesting.

Set your sights back on Minor League studs especially those who could platoon from the right side with a Roger Bernadina. The Nats also have drafted Brian Goodwin who could be the answer in the near-term.Plus Eury Perez. Plus there is still the option (if hadn't finally gotten his fielding glitches fixed and was hitting instead) BinM often mentions of moving Desmond to CF. In fact BJ Upton is the same sort of athlete who started in the infield. Hanley Ramirez is another guy who could likely play a better than decent CF and bring the right kind of bat. I suspect that is the reason Rizzo drafted so many MI in the 2010 and 2009 drafts was just for that reason. They are flexible enough to be moved.And moving Desmond to compete with Goodwin and Perez still might happen if Rendon looks as advertised and Danny Espinosa picks up that batting average and OBP and finally adapts to platoon hitting. Its only his rookie year so its too soon to tell either way.In any case as so many other posters indicated Rizzo does indeed have possibilities inside the organization. But according to "sources" he wants an established player … unless its Peter Bourjos ~smiles~ now that would be the ultimate coup if he didn't cost too much in prospects. (And I said prospects not $$$ okay?)

Anon @ 2:12, To extrapolate Eury Perez or Destin Hood or Goodwin to the majors at any time is simply pipe dreaming. These guys are years away at best and non major leaguers at worst. If we want to contend in the next couple of years the center field/leadoff problem must be addressed from outside our organization.

Steve M. said…[…] Rizzo did want to make it a longer-term deal although of question is whether Rizzo would have still done the deal regardless and […]You're right; there's no way to know that. Therefore — if I may make so bold — I respectfully suggest you remove it from your mental pile of evidence that Rizzo is (or, rather, was) focusing on the short term.That's the only point I was trying to make. It's your mental pile, of course, so you should put whatever you want in there. Goodness knows you don't want to see what's in my mental pile. Ye gods.Enjoy!

JD — neither I nor you commented on a medical issue, as far as I can see; you claimed that the Nats would have the scans, and I made reference to the issue of the Nats having had the scans for Flores's shoulder and having arguably misread them by trotting him out to play when he was already hurt. This is a history of the organization's arguable missteps discussion, not a medical issue.

gonatsgo said… Steve M – Mike Rizzo never steps back from the edge. He gets his emotions and his ego too involved and loses perspective. He is a great talent evaluator and maybe even a good negotiator, but we have seen the disastrous results of his need to be right and win 100% of the time. July 29, 2011 2:08 PM Ding, ding, ding, we have a winner! That's what scares me. "Has to be right" Jim Bowden was MLB's gift to Washington that the next guy they hired could only be better. Rizzo needs to step back. I fully believe he will get Span and roll the dice on the outcome. That is "Bowdeneque" which is why we had so many years of frustration."Has to be right" is the same reason Jayson Werth is here. I like Jayson, I just don't like him 7 years $126 million. Nobody saw batting .225 in his future but I don't think anyone saw him as a superstar Top 25 player either except Rizzo put him out there like that.

I have exactly zero medical qualifications.But I have noticed that players tend to tell managers and trainers they can "play through it." That "toughness quotient" may hamper the team doctors in their diagnoses. In the case of Span, however, he would be going to another team, and would have to undergo as thorough an examination as possible. I'm not saying I'm for or against the possible trade, only that I don't know if we have all the information, or if we ever can have it, short of a retrospective 10 years from now on Span's career.P.S., this is a lot more fun than the debt ceiling deadline.

@Stew Magnuson said… Send Rodriquez down, I say. Let him learn how to pitch in another organization. July 29, 2011 2:07 PM Mark Z. says he is out of options and I don't think Rizzo is ready to throw him away as Henry Rodriguez + Corey Brown = Josh Willingham at this point in time.Essentially you are saying Rizzo gave away Josh Willingham for nothing if you cut Henry loose.At least Henry Rodriguez leads the league in something: Wild Pitch per innings pitchedIf that doesn't spell lack of control, I don't know what does!By the way, I agree with you as it is addition by subtraction just like Matt Stairs.

Here is something truly funny: Mark Simon of Baseball Today spent the last three days in Cincinnati, which was just swept by the Mets. The Reds players blame it on the loss of Gomes which "pyschologically destroyed" them.Say what???

JD said… "Anon @ 2:12,Unlike some other posters I don't feel that I have the qualifications to comment on medical issues."Type this into your next post: "I'm not a doctor, but I play one on the Internet." and you're good to go – just as knowledgable as the other medical [im]posters.

NatsLady said… "Here is my (non-expert) opinion. Drew Storen is an excellent young man, personable and articulate. He's doing a great job as a closer. His arm will be gone in three years, and he'll go into baseball management (or some other management) and make his fortune.Tyler Clippard is a once-in-a-generation wonder. Period."SPOT ON!! Except you switched the players…or not.

Anon 3:05– that made me laugh, but I actually don't think they are interchangeable, and I hope Rizzo doesn't. Storen falls into the category of "excellent but replaceable". If we can get a good day-to-day position player for him, go for it, do the best deal you can. Clippard will win the playoffs for you.

One does not trade a Storen or Clippard for anyone who has suffered a severe concussion (I have no idea how severe Span's is, however).There is so much documented evidence of the permanent negative effects such injuries have on professional athletes.

@NatsLady said… Here is something truly funny: Mark Simon of Baseball Today spent the last three days in Cincinnati, which was just swept by the Mets. The Reds players blame it on the loss of Gomes which "pyschologically destroyed" them.Say what???July 29, 2011 2:56 PM Did they watch the hilights of Gomes watching 1 strike / 9 balls get pitched before their destroyer stepped up to the plate with bases loaded to swing at the 1st pitch which he rolled over into a double play?

Never fall in love with a relief pitcher. You'll either be left at the altar or at the office of Dr. Andrews.Very few are consistently very good, and neither Storen nor Clippard have pitched long enough to know how their careers will [S]pan out.

Look on Gomes I keep going back to his first reaction about being traded to the Nationals. He sounded in shock and was disappointed he does not want to be here and was resigned to the fact only when he saw his name on a uniform with a number. He reminds me of Eddie Guardado only Gomes did not threaten anyone with a butter knife about it. Really this gets sadder the more I think about it.

On Span who many broken part players are we going to get around here. The list is long and depressing from 2006 on how many suddenly the answer players turned into a broken part and project later. I am not excited about player that is rehabbing a concussion and if need to know what trouble it can be, anybody seen Sidney Crosby lately ??? NO …..me neither

I am constantly amazed at the mind-reading capabilities of internet posters. They not only can tell you what is going on in the mind of Rizzo, they can tell ID the weaknesses in his psychological profile that lead him to think that way! Truly incredible. :)Steve M. worries that Rizzo's recent comment about focusing on the long term mean that he's just figured out the importance of the long term. Don't worry too much Steve – that would be like me worrying that my friend who says he needs to keep his feet on the ground is not aware of gravity. Most comments are just that – comments, asides, platitudes even, but not an indication of a new insight coming to the commenter. Don't overthink throwaway comments, and don't let confirmation bias filter your judgment (i.e., I think Rizzo is an idiot, therefore I give everything he says the most idiotic interpretation possible).On the possible trade: if Span is healthy, or likely to BE healthy, there is no chance that you get him straight up for Storen or Clippard. Except for two months in 2009, both leadoff and CF have been gaping voids for the Nationals. An above average everyday CF who is young, has a high OBP and is under team control for coming seasons is much harder to find and more valuable (they can affect 162 games, a relief pitcher (60-70 games max). I stopped by a Twins' fanpage and the posters were horrified at the concept of a straight-up Storen/Span deal – as well they should be (they are also feeling a bit toasted by the Ramos/Capps swap last year). The only question to me is what else the Nationals would have to give up to make it happen.

Another potential mid-season relief pitcher trade? A first round pick, even? After trading Jon Rauch in 2008, we were assured that Joel Hanrahan could do the job. When he failed, we traded him in 2009 for Nyjer Morgan and finished out the year with a capable Mike McDougal. Next season, we got an all-star performance out of Matt Capps, who was traded to the Twins about two weeks after winning the All-Star Game. Since then, we've relied on Storen to close. That's five closers in four years. Is it really time to give up on another one?By the way, we started spring training with a Centerfielder — Is Cutter Dykstra ready for a call up yet?